Byrne expressed surprise at the US decision to file a complaint with the WTO against EU moratorium on GMOs

Corfu, 13/05/2003 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday, the Bush Administration announced it had filed a complaint (with twelve other countries) with the WTO as a sign of protest against the EU's moratorium on the marketing of new GMOs. According to Washington, the moratorium is not only violation of the rules of the WTO but also of the EU's own rules. On the sidelines of the informal Agriculture Council meeting, Commissioner David Byrne expressed surprise at the American decision. He said that, whereas the authorisations will resume in July after the adoption by the European Parliament of the latest Community provisions on feed containing GMOs, the US decision seems to him to be somewhat surprising, if not strange.

Any member of the WTO can call for a debate on the issue, Mr Byrne said, saying that, for his part, he will continue to do his work. He added that the fact that another economic bloc in the world wants to oppose this has nothing to do with the EU's objective. After recalling that the EU is setting in place legislation at European level comprising a system for scientific assessment in order to authorise the marketing of products containing GMOs and the possibility for the consumer to make a well-informed choice, he added that he did not know whether this American offensive would influence the position of the Member States. In his view, discussions held on this subject in the Council formations concerned have shown that Member States have always hoped legislation would be set in place before going any further with regards GMOs, and this is precisely what is being done. In response to a question put by a journalist on the problem of coexistence between GMO and traditional products, Mr Byrne said one should not get subjects mixed up. On one hand, there is the issue to be examined by the EP in July(on feed containing GMOs) and, on the other, the subject of coexistence which will be tackled "in good time", he said, before concluding that the debate on coexistence should not influence that on authorisation of foodstuffs containing GMOs.